English Literature Castles Research Paper 30, 1997

January

In medieval times, castles served as the home and fortress of a monarch or noble. The earliest castles were built from earth and wood. By the 12th cen tury, most castles were built from stone. The stones came from local mines or q uarries if possible, but sometimes they had to be carried long distances by wate r or on ox wagons. The roofs of castles were covered with slates, clay tiles, o r wooden shingles. Castles were built on steep hill sides or at the top of rocky cliffs. T his was for protection from attackers. It made it harder for them to reach the castle. Castles also had additional purposes. They sometimes served as barracks , prisons, storehouses, armories, treasure houses, and the center for local gove rnment. Castles sometimes had brewhouses, a laundry a huge bakers oven, worksho ps, dovecotes, and stables (MacDonald, p.12) Castle walls surrounded the entire castle and were usually several meter s thick. They usually had 3 layers: a rough stone inner shell, a thick, solid filling of flint and rubble, and an outer layer of stone called ashlar. (MacDon ald, p.8) There was usually a walkway along the top of the walls so guards coul d keep watch. Some castle walls had spaces at the top called embrassures, which allowed archers to shoot with the protection of the wall. These openings also permitted stones or boiling water to be thrown down on the enemy. (Encyclopedia Americana, p.790). Towers were built along castle walls at regular intervals t o strengthen them and provide area for castle workers or visitors. Moats often surrounded castles for protection. Some people built castle s on banks of lakes or rivers and channeled water to the moat. A drawbridge lai d across the moat and could be raised if an enemy approached. Castles had few window, because they made the castle drafty and allowed the enemy a way inside. Glass was a luxury until around the 15th century. Alt hough oiled paper shut out some of the drafts, shutters were the usual way of sh utting windows. (Encyclopedia Americana, p.791) The castle hall was usually the single largest room in the castle. In t he early middle ages, it was common to sleep in the hall. (Encyclopedia America na, p.791). In the late Middle Ages, however, the hall wasn't used as much. Pe ople would eat by themselves in a room, usually wit a fireplace. Castles usually seemed indestructible, but they were not. Enemies had m any ways of attacking castles. Arrows could be made to ignite a castle when it was fired. Attackers could make moveable towers that could help get them over c astle walls. (Encyclopedia Americana, p.790). Walls could also be tunneled und er, or undermined, but moats made this difficult. Enemies could block off a ca stle from outside food, water, and help, but it could take months to starve cast le defenders, so this usually wasn't successful. Lastly, catapults could event ually batter down castle walls. Lords of the castle sometimes had social gatherings in the castle. Peop le gathered in the hall for feasts and listened to music by minstrels, or wander ing singers. On special occasions, lords held jousting events in a field outsid e the castle. Bibliography 1.) Hogg, Ian. The History of Forts and Castles. New York: Crescent Books, 1 985. 2.) MacDonald, Fiona. A Medieval Castle. New York, New York: Peter Bedrick B ooks, 1990.

3.) "Castles."

The Encyclopedia Americana. 1994 Edition.